Deception
by Adeleine
Summary: After the events of Dragon Night, Deltora seems to have been restored to its former peace. But those loyal to the Shadow Lord still remain hidden within the land's borders...
1. Waking Nightmare

It was the grandest day that Deltora had seen in the last two decades. Though few knew of the events that occurred in the Plains, the people could feel that the foreboding that plagued their land had ceased. And as dawn approached, the skies were ignited with colors - dazzling silver-white, emerald green, starry blue, gold, streams of rainbow, scarlet, and warm violet - that confirmed their convictions.

They were free.

It was a day worth celebrating, indeed - but the people, so overcome with joy, had already forgotten the past.

* * *

><p>Lief awoke to a light knocking on his chamber door. Sharn entered quietly and sat on the edge of his bed.<p>

"You have best wake up, we have quite a predicament in the hall."

Lief sat up almost immediately at this mention of trouble, a habit he had yet to grow out of due to the last two years of hardship. "What is it?" he asked as he slipped out of bed and began to dress.

Sharn smiled. "You'll see."

Confused, Lief stumbled outside into the hallway.

Lining the corridor were boxes, bundles, and containers all in various sizes and shapes. They accommodated so much space that they stood nearly at Lief's eye level. He opened his mouth, not knowing quite what to say, and instead emitted a weak "What are all these?

"Wedding presents," Sharn responded.

"The wedding is not to be held until spring," he said incredulously. "Why, we were only engaged last month!"

Sharn laughed. "It seems that the people really adore their new king and queen. They're grateful for what you've done for the land." She kissed him on the forehead and left him in the midst of papers and ribbon. He stood there awkwardly, unsure of where to start. He vaguely realized footsteps approaching from his left.

"Lief!"

Immediately his heart was filled with warmth. He turned towards the voice. There at the top of the stairwell was Jasmine, whose wild features and tousled hair greatly contrasted the starkness of the castle walls.  
>Jasmine rapidly descended the staircase. "I know," she laughed, as Lief gestured towards the presents. "They're hard not to notice. Let's start."<p>

And so the couple spent their entire morning opening the presents, admiring its contents, and then distributing them throughout the palace. Books were sent to the library, to expand its already immense collection; letters were collected and stored to be later archived by Marilen, the new librarian; and fresh flowers were placed in various rooms to brighten the stifled atmosphere.

Even now, trapped between the white walls of the palace, Jasmine still refused to recognize material value. In fact, she seemed to have adopted a new contempt for them, and frequently suggested to have trinkets and trifles sold to foreign markets to sustain trade between Deltora's neighboring islands. Though he agreed, Lief still insisted on enjoying small luxuries that were unavailable during the time of the Shadow Lord's reign. Sorting through the gifts almost became a political debate. The two were disputing over the placement of a glass fish (to which Jasmine explained was tacky despite Lief's protests) when a single, sharp scream pierced the air and disrupted the peaceful atmosphere. Instinctively, the two reached for their weapons. Jasmine pressed her ear against the wall. "It came from the storeroom," she said finally. "I can hear movement in there." Without hesitation she hurried down the hallway. Lief quickly followed suit. He had known her long enough than to question her intuitions.

As they approached the storeroom doors, Lief was suddenly overcome with a sense of dread. From behind the door he could feel strange tremors and hear muffled crashing. At Jasmine's signal, Lief threw open the door and they entered with their weapons drawn.

At first the two only saw vague shadows. The candles that normally lit the room were strewn on the floor, slightly smoking. Lief slowly distinguished a mess of boxes - wedding gifts, apparently - that overflowed from the storage rooms to the kitchens for inspection, as was protocol. However, as he scanned the room he noticed two ominous forms.

In the far corner, clutching a tainted silver knife, was Barda. His head was bowed over an unconscious woman laying in his lap. A trickle of blood flowed from her temple to her chin, staining the white tiles with scarlet. Her pale hands were marred by vicious cuts. Lief's eyes widened in disbelief.

It was Sharn.

He stumbled forward, ignoring Jasmine's cries. He couldn't comprehend even the possibility that Barda could have killed her - yet the proof was undeniable. He tried to think of other possibilities, other circumstances, but could not. The doubt that riddled his mind was plagued with the faith for his companion, but rivaled by the rage over his mother's wounds. He found that the hand holding his sword was trembling, and he sought to steady himself.

Barda, however, seemed not to notice Lief's turmoil, but instead shouted out a warning.

Lief hesitated, and in that instant, a cold hand grabbed his ankle and he fell forward. Turning, he distinguished the twisted form of a palace servant. She was muttering incoherently, but her eyes, filled with malice, bore fiercely into his own. Unnerved, he tried to pull away, but she desperately dug her nails into his ankle. She muttered an inaudible string of words and laughed madly. Then, as if resigning, she averted her eyes and finally collapsed.

It was then that he noticed a deep stab wound in her navel. He abruptly felt sick.

Suddenly, several guards spilled into the room. At their entrance, Lief realized that the threat was not Barda, but rather the fallen servant, whose corpse was now being solemnly carried away. His first reaction was relief that his friend was not a traitor. The second was guilt for actually believing that he was. He hoped that Barda had not noticed his distrust.

With a groan, Barda rose, supporting Sharn on his shoulder. His mouth was set in a firm line. "She will recover," he responded to Lief's worried expression. However, Jasmine was not so easily appeased.

"What happened here?" she demanded indignantly.

Barda glanced at her warily as he headed towards Sharn's bedchamber.

"Thievery."

* * *

><p><em>What? THIEVERY? WHAT IS THAT MAN TALKING ABOUT – oh wait, you'll find out next chapter.<em>

_Thanks for reading! Please leave a review, preferably something constructive. Did I portray them out of character? Is my writing style choppy? Is this current plotline a pile of poo?_

_I'll update when I get the chance. Until then, please tell me how amazingly gorgeous I am. My ego demands it. _

_Do it. Now._


	2. A Fallacy Unfolding

Early in the morning, before the king had even woken, Barda set out on his duties - or, as he grudgingly acknowledged, a severe lack of duties. As the court concluded, imminent danger was unlikely, and thus he had been momentarily relieved of his work. Instead, he was placed in charge of checking the incoming gifts for the royal couple.

It was, if anything, a jading task.

Barda recounted the dull process. The guards, under his command, carried the gifts to the storage room, where the servants checked for any abnormalities or signs of tampering. So far there had been none, and Barda doubted that the circumstances would change.

Absentmindedly, he wondered of the two children he had watched over, befriended, and come to view as his own. They had aged considerably. He suddenly became aware of the deep lines and faint scars on his face. _War seems to slow time,_ he realized solemnly. _It has only been two years, yet I feel as if it had been ten._

He wondered of time, wondered of the land, and wondered of the people. He thought of Lindal and smiled.

* * *

><p>The dull hours passed without much significance. Barda wakened himself to the apparent change that had occurred in the storeroom. The candles that warmed the room had shriveled into stubs. The servants had changed shifts; in their place remained a nervous woman and Sharn, who had apparently entered some time in the morning and was already making herself useful.<p>

"Perhaps you should try these boxes," Sharn instructed the servant, who stared at her as if lost. "They won't be so hard on your hands."

"Yes," she responded quietly. She took the packages and apprehensively began opening the first, delicately removing the cardboard as if it were petals. Then, eyes widening, she emitted a soft exclamation.

"What is it?"

"Why - this ring is beautiful," she said simply, holding it in her palm.

"I presume it is for the king and queen," Sharn said, checking a set of bronze cups. "One of the wedding planners must have ordered it. Place it on top of the other boxes."

The woman nodded slowly, but continued to stare at the jewelry as if mesmerized. Apparently reaching a decision, she lifted the ring from its case and quickly fitted it to her finger. She tucked her hand into the folds of her dress.

"I assume placing the ring in your pocket has something to do with checking its condition," Barda said dryly. He gave the servant a threatening gaze, to which her cheeks responded with rising color.

"I simply was - admiring it," she said sheepishly.

Sharn reached for her hand. "It would be best to return it before any damage is done," she said firmly.

The servant stepped away from her as if repulsed. "There is already damage in the land. Damage done to the very hearts and minds of the people. It permeates the air like a sickness. And we - we shall return the land to its rightful place." She blinked fervently, as if confused.

"Enough of this foolishness," Barda growled, stepping from his post. The servant recoiled.

"I cannot return it to you." She glanced at the ring. "I bid myself not. There is - there is more value in it than you can ever realize."

Barda narrowed his eyes. _The woman is mad,_ he thought smugly. _The guards should have been more careful. Being too trusting is a vice, not a virtue._ He reached for her, but she again shied away.

"No. I no longer wish to serve others." Her hand clasped something that gleamed an ominous silver.

Barda felt his blood chill. Without hesitation, he interrupted her subtle movements and grabbed her arm. She writhed like a snake beneath his grasp. Finally, her muscles became lax. "I must see the king."

Barda frowned. "I can assure you now that he does not wish to see you."

"You do not understand. I _must_ see the king," she insisted. She once again tried to pull away but Barda remained firm.

"Not until you give reason for your actions," he said.

"Reason?" she repeated. She turned towards Barda and smiled widely. "I am afraid reason is the last thing I would give you."

And she lifted her head to the ceiling and screamed.

A stream of electricity jolted painfully up his arm and he abruptly released her. In an instant, she had turned to face him, madness burning furiously in her eyes.

Suddenly he stumbled. An inky blackness, accented by stars, crawled at the edges of his vision. He could distinguish little beyond the painful throbbing of his temple, but in agony he realized that the servant had taken advantage of his moment of weakness and had struck him. As he struggled to right himself, he was vaguely aware of the servant's shouts and Sharn's cries, and the crumple of a body onto the cold floor.

"Guards!" Barda roared. Unsheathing his weapon, he lunged for the servant, who merely stood in wonder over Sharn's fallen form. Within moments he had his sword to her throat. Despite this, she made no motion to defend herself.

"The king comes," the servant whispered.

Just as Barda became aware of the approaching footsteps, the servant darted towards the door with inhuman speed, leaving a shallow cut on her throat. In vain, he followed her, but despaired as he realized that she would quickly reach the door before he could apprehend her. She, too, seemed to realize this, and laughed mockingly.

In a last desperate attempt, Barda decidedly kicked a heavy box in her direction, successfully causing her to stumble. She fell heavily to the floor, knocking over candles and shrouding the room in darkness. A sharp intake of breath alerted Barda that he had miraculously prevailed.

He walked cautiously towards the servant's body. He imagined that this instant had, at most, simply inconvenienced her, and hesitated as she struggled to lift herself from the floor. However, it was apparent that the servant was no longer of consequence. As she turned, gasping, he saw that she had fallen on her knife.

Gritting her teeth, she removed the weapon, and stared in frustration as blood pooled to the ground in a gentle stream. She cried aloud in pain and anger. "If I am to meet this end, then so shall the king!" She made a movement towards the door with unusual dexterity, but Barda, in contempt, wrenched the knife from her grasp. She began to sob in anguish.

A muffled groan sounded from the far corner. Barda ran to Sharn's body and quickly lifted her head from the ground.

"Can you hear me?" he asked, gently shaking her. She murmured a quiet yes. Relieved, Barda sighed and sank to the floor.

Suddenly the door burst open, alerting Barda to Lief and Jasmine's fortunately late arrival. Barda attempted a weak smile. However, in apparent shock, Lief stumbled into the middle of the room. It was then that Barda realized his seemingly suspicious actions and sought to explain the knife still in his hand. There was little time for this, however; the servant, who had been waiting quietly on the floor, suddenly jerked from her subdued position.

"Lief! Beware!" Barda cried, but Lief seemed not to hear, and fell victim to the servant's final offense. But at this point, she could do nothing. She was weak. And Barda could see that though she struggled to instill fear and pain into the young king, her efforts were pointless. In finality, she looked away from Lief's petrified face and gazed upon the ring once more. Then, abruptly, she fell silent.

* * *

><p>Lief sat quietly next to his mother, who slept peacefully upon her bed. According to her attendant, her wounds were shallow and would leave no lasting scars, and for this he was thankful. However, despite the news of his mother's returning health, the sense of foreboding would not leave him. In an attempt to dispel his uneasiness, he turned his attention to the matter at hand.<p>

"But why would she go to such lengths to steal a ring?" Jasmine asked, as Barda finished recounting the events.

Barda shook his head. "You must understand that times in Deltora are still difficult. The Sisters have only just been destroyed, and the people have been exposed to a prolonged amount of suffering."

"Even then -"

"Even when times are good, thievery is still common. The pirates of the River Tor are proof of that."

Jasmine frowned. "There must be another reason."

Barda, however, dismissed her skepticism. "She has been exposed to the same suffering as everyone else in Deltora. The only difference is that she attempted to resolve her pains with malicious means." He examined Jasmine's expression and raised an eyebrow. "Yet you still believe there to be another reason?"

"Well," Jasmine began hesitantly. "I have seen this woman before, a few days prior. She was one of the many servants who wished to volunteer in the castle. I admit, I was impatient with her. She seemed to fear work and paled beneath authority. I encouraged the guards to dismiss her, but they let her in anyway. I had not seen her since then."

"I still cannot find a reason as to why she would not harm -"

"- yet you cannot find a reason that she would!" Jasmine interrupted, frustrated. "How could this woman, who was so weak and so terrified, suddenly find the courage to steal an expensive ring? To try to attack Lief?"

At this, Lief, who had been silently pondering, suddenly interrupted. "What if Jasmine is correct?" he asked. "What if she was being manipulated by an outside entity?"

"What proof do we have of that?" Barda asked, exasperated. Lief smiled ruefully.

"We have this." He retrieved a handkerchief from his pocket and unraveled its folded layers. Tucked within the white fabric was the elegantly embroidered ring. "Observe it closely, but do not touch it."

Jasmine gasped. "Why, it is the Sister of the South!"

"Only a shadow," Lief responded. "But, like the Sister, it has just enough power to tempt the hopeless and the weak."

The trio remained silent for a moment, realizing its implications. Jasmine was the first to interrupt. "But the Shadow Lord has just been defeated! Surely he would have been too weakened to have designed another plan - a crude one at that!"

"Exactly," Lief responded solemnly. "Destroying the Sisters only rid ourselves of the Shadow Lord."

"Are you saying there are new enemies?" Barda asked.

"No." Lief turned to face his companions. "Remember when the Belt was restored. Though it rid us of the Shadow Lord, it did not dispel his servants, who still plagued the land and sought to harm us. The servants' loyalties do not like solely with the Enemy. They are also loyal to themselves."

"Then this is just the beginning," Jasmine murmured.

"Indeed," Barda responded. "And it seems that these attacks are becoming more personal. The ring, after all, was meant for you and Lief." Both Jasmine and Lief glanced up at him in surprise.

"They seek to manipulate us?" Jasmine asked, incredulous.

"Perhaps not as much you, Jasmine, for thankfully you two are yet to be wed." He turned towards Lief. "I fear that they seek to control, terrorize, and otherwise torture the king to madness."

Lief recalled the attack with this realization in mind. The sense of dread suddenly fell upon his shoulders like a deadweight. "Just before she died, she said something to me," he muttered.

"What?" Jasmine asked.

Lief gazed upon the cold stone in his hand, its gray shadows swirling with red lines. "Long live the king."

He crumpled the handkerchief into a fist, obscuring the ring from his view.

* * *

><p><em>Sorry for the slow updates everyone! I decided to post an extra long chapter just to make up for it.<em>

_Unfortunately I cannot predict when the next update will be, but hopefully it will be soon. I am still in the midst of planning the plotline, so please don't be discouraged by long wait times - it just means that I'm trying my best to make the story as good as possible. For your sake, of course. You beautiful reader you._

_Please leave a review so I can improve! Thanks to those who have reviewed already, it's much appreciated!_

_For anyone who cares: Gosh, you know what I learned this week? I've learned to save all my work on Word Document, because when I was writing this chapter on a website, my internet crashed and I lost a good chunk of work. Twice. Fortunately, as an optimist, I realized that this would only encourage me to start stronger from where I left off and write an even better plotline than before!_

_...Who am I kidding. I nearly cried._

_Well anyway, see you guys next time. /is a newb 8)  
><em>


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